One or two days can make a lot of difference in regards to Colorado fishing conditions and so does a few thousand feet of altitude. After a grueling Saturday with ho-hum results and near frostbite, I had to pull the Sunday fish card. Rather than brave the high country I chose to beat up a scrap of open water in the lowland. Before leaving the house I packed the tackle bag with luck and determination.
(Above: Beauty cutbow and I usually seem to get into the best ones this time of year.)
Battling a few of the areas near the parking and come up empty. Air temps already in the mid 40’s this early in the day made it easy to keep moving. Eventually I was tossing in 50-degree weather with not so much as a kiss of wind. Unfortunately the penetrating bright light also tends to make the fish wary especially in these low water conditions. After an hour of slop-walking the shoreline I get to the one deep pool on the stretch. Tiny noseeum bugs hovered over the water. It felt like one of those moments where everything could come together and a big fish just might take a swipe at what I was throwing.
Toss the spinnerbug a few times and come up empty. Not so much as a fin-slapping follow or gill-faced nudge. I run the minnow and get nothing on the first pass. My expectations start to crumble and the anticipation of blissful fish glory had faded to a pale realization of failure.
“At least the weather is good.” Words fall off my lips in shameless hopes to reassure myself. “Dang near tropical out here today.”
Throw a few more casts and backup plans start rolling through my brain. Once this spot was beat up there very little water would be left to try. Throw one more cast and the minnow lands on top of the boulder that creates most of the slack water on the far side of the pool. Lift the rod slightly and the lure drops straight down. A large silver roll occurred at the top of the water and the line goes straight.
At first I can’t see the whole of the fish but my heart races at the large silvery glow flashing back and forth in the deep section of water. The fish runs up to the riffle and then turns towards me. At first I brace for a dead run straight for me. This is the best trick in the book at times to spit a lure. Instead the fish runs into shallow water. I reel in the slack and wet my hands. Check and mate.
(Above: The fish was laid gently in the water with the nose facing upstream. If the fish tries to turn sideways I will support them long enough to get their equilibrium back again. This fish didn’t want any help and quickly swam from my hands into a small riffle where I was able to grab a quick shot before it took off.)
This was another one-bite\one-fish day and this time the fish made it look easy. All I had to do was walk all the way back there and throw a few more times than usual. Some folks brag about tremendous fish prowess and ninja-like angling skills. Most of my fish are caught on luck and determination. It just so happens that as I finish up this post the foothills are getting over a foot of snow.
“Sure glad I pulled the Sunday fish card.” I mumbled doing the whole photo adjust\save dealio. “This fish was pure luck!”
My name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic.
